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Monday, July 18, 2011

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SCOTT BROSIUS

About two months ago, I wrote a piece for BYB titled, WHY WE‘LL ALWAYS LOVE BROSIUS, check it out. What I love about BYB and it’s creator, Casey, is that he lets us think outside the box, and we're able to get alittle creative when it comes to the Yankees. Casey knows I love Scott Brosius so he said to just go ahead and write something up and maybe we should try and track down Mr. Brosius and send it to him. Well, that’s exactly what I did! About 24 hours after I sent the article to Scott, he emailed me back and thanked me for the piece. He stressed how much he loved to play in the Bronx and in front of the Yankee fans. I wrote back and asked if he wouldn’t mind answering a few questions for an exclusive interview on Bleeding Yankee Blue. He said he would and did and it's an honor to have our interview of Mr. Brosius for all of you.

By the way, Mr. Brosius could not have been nicer or more generous with his time. He is truly a man of his word and for that we thank him. Below is the interview I did with Scott. His answers are word for word. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!BYB: You were part of many incredible teams with the Yankees, along with so many incredible moments. Can you tell us your single favorite moment as a New York Yankee and your most memorable?

Scott Brosius: Probably, both my most memorable and favorite moment as a Yankee was the last out and winning the 1998 World Series. While every championship was special, the first one always stands out. So getting the last out hit to me and jumping on the dog pile was pretty amazing for me.BYB: The 1998 New York Yankees are arguably the greatest single season team ever and you were a huge part of that historic season. What made that Yankee team so good?

Scott Brosius:I think that team was so good because we were pretty complete both in terms of talent and of attitude. We had great starting pitching, a great bullpen, swung the bats well 1 through 9 and played good defense. On top of that, this team had a strong desire to win. We never took a game off, and we were never satisfied. They had the killer instinct and would not accept losing.

BYB: Who were you most friendly with on the Yankees? Who was the guy or guys you would go out and have a cold one with every once in a while?

Scott Brosius: The great thing about those Yankee teams was that everyone got along so well. It would not be unusual to see 10 or 12 guys out together for a dinner after a game. So while I hung out with most everyone, Pettitte, Curtis, and O’Neill were the guys I spent the most time with.

(In Photo: Chad Curtis)BYB: For the last 16 seasons, Yankee fans have had the pleasure to watch "the Core Four" play. Of course, Andy Pettitte is retired, but we still have Mo, Jeet, and Posada. What made those four guys so special?

Scott Brosius: I think what made the core 4 so special was their longevity with the team. You just don’t see that as often anymore. They are great players, that goes without saying, but they were committed to winning and staying a Yankee to do so.

BYB: You faced Mo as a player but had the pleasure of being his teammate for 4 seasons. What’s it like to face him and, in your opinion, is he the greatest closer of all time?Scott Brosius:I faced Mo mostly in his pre-closer era while I was with the A’s, but let me tell you, he was no walk in the park to face even then. Without a doubt, he is the greatest closer of all time, because he has done it both in the regular season but more importantly, in the post season. For a guy to have that much success throwing one pitch, it shows how special his stuff really is.BYB: Scott, after that amazing 2001 World Series, you literally walked away from the game. Fans were really sad to hear you retired but we respected your decision. Why did you decide it was time to hang it up?

Scott Brosius: For me, the decision to retire was more of a family decision than a baseball one. I would laugh at the reporters during the 2001 season when they wrote I would not return to the Yankees because I was looking for a 3 year deal. The truth is, I never spoke to anyone about any deal because I was considering retirement. I had other offers to play, but I just really felt it was time to be around home more. I was missing so much of my kids life being on the road, and you can’t get that time back. I never regretted the decision. I sure missed being on the field, but I did not miss all the travel. New York is a long way from Oregon, and it made for a difficult commute!BYB: Many fans don't know you haven’t left baseball. You are in your fourth year as the manager of Linfield College Baseball team. Fans also might not know that you played for Linfield College for three years until being drafted by the Oakland A’s in 1987. How do you like being a manager and is managing in the Major Leagues something you would like to do one day?

Scott Brosius:I have been very fortunate to get the opportunity to coach at Linfield College, the school I played at. I knew I didn’t want to give up baseball altogether, so coaching gives me the opportunity to pass on some of what I learned along the way. I enjoy coaching tremendously, and doing so at Linfield also provides me with the balance to see my kids play as well and coach my son’s team in the summer. I am having a great time with it, and right now I don’t see myself moving back into the professional ranks, at least while my kids are still at home.

BYB: Thanks for spending a few minutes with Bleeding Yankee Blue, Scott. Anything you would like to say to all the fans reading this?

Scott Brosius: While I stay very busy here in Oregon and don’t get the opportunity to get back to New York all that often, I will never forget my time there as a player and all the support I got there from the fans. Yankee fans are truly the best, they follow the team with a passion like no other. It sounds cliché, but I look at those years in New York as the best of times for me and my playing career. Although it’s been 10 years already and a long time ago, it still feels like yesterday in a lot of ways.

BYB would just like to once again thank Scott for his time and for all the great memories he gave Yankee fans!

5 comments:

Scott is a great guy and will always be remembered as a Yankee favorite.. Had the opportunity to meet him at the final game and a true gentleman. Even though I didn't get my ball signed, he did stop to talk to some fans with his family. Great interview as usual!